Sectional Champs

ELC advances eight wrestlers to district

February 14, 2014

SPIRIT LAKE - Three Estherville Lincoln Central wrestlers won a sectional championship and five more placed second as the Midgets advanced eight wrestlers to next week's Class 2A District Meet in Sheldon.

Oh. And the Midgets won the Class 2A Sectional at Spirit Lake. ELC edged Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley in the team standings by a point-208 to 207. Spirit Lake Park finished third with 187 points, Sioux Central and Western Christian/Unity Christian tied for fourth with 94 points and Sheldon/South O'Brien finished sixth with 91 points.

Ramirez, ranked first at 132 pounds, wrestled Sioux Central's Colton Schau in a semifinal and needed just 1:51 to pin him. In the finals, he faced BHRV's Alex Hash, who entered the day with a 29-10 record. Ramirez, jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first period and then got in a little trouble in the second period when Hash reversed him. But the ELC senior came up with the pin in 5:12.

Bortvit entered the day with a 28-15 record. He pinned Spirit Lake Park's Trevor Bueltel in 3:02 in the semifinal. In the final, he faced BHRV's Marcus Jones. Bortvit jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first period and led 12-4 to start the final period after Jones had come up with a late reversal in the second period. But the only point in the final period was a stall call against Bortvit as he won 12-5.

Bonner didn't take long to get to work in his match against Western Christian/UC's Trevor Wietkamp with a fall in 1:13. Bonner, ranked fifth in the state in 2A, then faced Sheldon/South O'Brien's Brett Korselman in the finals. Bonner quickly scored a takedown and two nearfall points, but then Koersalman came up with a reversal. In the second period, Bonner started in the down position, but quickly came up with the pin in 3:19.

At 106 pounds, Snyder entered the tournament with a 21-18 record. He recorded a pin in 1:36 over the Orabs' Cole Stofferan. IN the finals he faced BHRV's Devin Van Beek, who entered the day with a 31-10 record. Van Beek scored the only points in the second period with a two-point nearfall and held on for the 2-0 win.

The 113-pound bracket only had two wrestlers-BHRV's Samuel Karenbeek (37-1) and ELC's Castro (21-5). After waiting all day to wrestle, Castro came up with the first takedown in the opening frame, but Klarenbeek quickly reversed to tie the match at 2-2. Klarenbeek extended the lead to 6-3 at the end of the second period and opened the third period with a reversal. Three takedowns later, he ended up with the 14-6 victory.

Only three wrestlers were in the 126-pound bracket. Myles McDonald took the slot for ELC and defeated SLP's Alec Harrington, 14-4. IN the finals, he faced Sioux Central's Jordan Gunnarson, who took first with a win by fall in 1:21.

Only three wrestlers were in the 138-pound bracket as well. ELC's Brenden Duer got the call as Thomas Bortvit was unable to wrestle due to a skin infection. Duer pinned SLP's Jac Radcliffe in 4:49 in the semifinal, but lost by fall in 1:56 to BHRV's Jesse Vander Bush in the final.

At 152 pounds, Gjerde pinned BHRV's Seth Hoggendoom in 3:45 to get the finals. There he faced SLP's Kenten Murray for the third time this season. In the first meeting in December, Gjerde had a lead against Murray, but the Indian got the ELC senior off balance and came up with the pin. At the Lakes Conference meet, Murray came away with a slim victory.

On Saturday, Murray took the lead in the second period with an escape. Gjerde elected to wrestle on his feet in the third period and came up with a takedown on the edge of the mat with about 39 seconds remaining. But Murray came up with a reversal in the final 5 seconds to earn a 3-2 win.

Gifford and Budach both had chances to place second in a wrestleback.

Gifford lost by fall in a semifinal to SLP's Gavin Kramer, but then earned the wrestleback by beating WC/UC's Derrick Jansma by fall in 1:08. Kramer went on to beat Sioux Central's Caleb Gunderson, giving Gifford the chance for the wrestleback. But Gunderson won by fall in 51 seconds.

At 145 pounds, Budach lost by fall to top-ranked Zack Skopec of SLP in 1:43. But he then edged Sheldon/SO's Jake Roos 3-2. In the wrestleback, Budach faced BHRV's Zack Konz. After a takedown in the first period, Budach still led 2-1 entering the final period. But Konz escaped to tie the score and then got the takedown and the fall in 5:11.